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Monday, May 6, 2013

Monday, May 6, 2013

If you see a helicopter
hovering over the San Diego River in Santee this Wednesday, May 8, it’s
probably a contractor working for the county’s Vector Control Program.

The aircraft will be dropping
a tiny grain-sized mosquito larvicide called VectoMax, which contains two types
of laboratory grown bacteria that prevent mosquito larvae from maturing into
flying adults that bite.

This will be the second
aerial application of mosquito larvicide for the 2013 mosquito breeding season.
Additional applications are typically done at three- to four-week intervals
during the summer.

County officials say the
larvicide pellets are harmless to humans, wildlife and the riparian habitat
that surrounds the river. The county's mosquito-abatement effort is aimed at
preventing the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.

County officials say the
granules, which are about one-eighth of an inch long, will not generate a fog,
mist or cloud.

The aerial drops are aimed at
preventing the spread of the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.